Wrap device and method for curling hair

ABSTRACT

A wrap curling device is disclosed which comprises a triangular or quadrilateral shaped, dual-sided pouch which further comprises a heat absorbent material. The heat absorbent material will preferably gain moisture from the air as it is heated. The exterior of the pouch is preferably constructed of a breathable fabric that is durable enough to withstand slight stretching and rolling after being heated for short periods of time. The wrap is capable of curling an entire head of hair at one time, without prior sectioning of the hair, and can be left in the hair and worn in a bun as a fashion accessory. A method of using the wrap is also disclosed.

CLAIM TO PRIORITY

This application claims the benefit of 35 U.S.C. §119 and the filing date of provisional application 61/294,799, filed Jan. 13, 2010.

FIELD OF INVENTION

The present invention relates to the field of beauty products. More specifically, the invention relates to hair curling devices and methods

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Hair curling has been desirable, especially within the fashion industry, for many decades; however the biggest drawbacks are that the hair curling process can be complicated, elaborate and take a large amount of time. Most hair curling devices employ some variation of roller or multiple rollers that are placed in the hair itself. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,116,250 to Buheitel, U.S. Pat. No. 6,659,108 to Hardenbrook, and U.S. Pat. No. 6,990,986 to Valentini all use variations of the roller or some form of tube-shaped device to curl hair. Using these tube-shaped devices is time consuming because each must individually be placed within a section of hair that is divided or separated out from the rest of the hair. In addition, they usually must be worn for long periods of time, can be uncomfortable to wear for extended periods and are unattractive.

Other well known means of curling hair utilize hand-held wands which include a heated roller and clamp. These devices also use a tube shaped structure, in addition to requiring access to an electrical outlet in order to heat the tube. Although they can curl hair in less time than a simple mechanical curler, the process can involve a lot of effort on the part of the user. Unfortunately, this means these devices can not be used passively and do not allow a user to pursue other tasks while the hair is being curled.

A third method of curling hair involves treatment with chemicals, however this can also requires a large amount of time if different segments or portions of hair must separated out. This method is also not as convenient because hair must be allowed to dry. It can also be very expensive if done professionally and the over-use of chemicals can actually damage and thin the hair over time.

The present invention overcomes all of these drawbacks and disadvantageous instrumentation which have been known in the art for some time. Additionally, the presently disclosed device and method offers a quick, convenient and simple solution that none of the previous mechanisms have suggested, and up until this point in time have not been able to solve.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A wrap curling device is disclosed which comprises a triangular or quadrilateral shaped, dual-sided pouch which further comprises a heat absorbent material. The heat absorbent material will preferably gain moisture from the air as it is heated. The exterior of the pouch is preferably constructed of a breathable fabric that is durable enough to withstand slight stretching and rolling after being heated for short periods of time. The wrap is capable of curling an entire head of hair at one time, without prior sectioning of the hair, and can be left in the hair and worn in a bun as a fashion accessory. A method of using the wrap is also disclosed.

These and other objectives of the claimed invention will no doubt become obvious to those of ordinary skill in the art after reading the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment that is illustrated in the various figures and drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A illustrates a front perspective view of the preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 1B illustrates a front elevation view of the preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 1C illustrates another front elevation view of the preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2A illustrates another elevation view of the preferred embodiment of the present invention showing the area where hair should be placed.

FIG. 2B illustrates another elevation view of the preferred embodiment of the present invention in use.

FIG. 3 illustrates a flowchart showing the preferred method of using the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

In the following description of the various embodiments, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof, and in which is shown by way of illustration various embodiments in which the invention may be practiced. It is to be understood that other embodiments may still be utilized and structural and functional modifications may be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 1A, a front perspective view of the preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown. Wrap 10 is shown to be quadrilateral in shape with the longest side 13 facing upward and the shortest side 14 facing downward. In the preferred embodiment, wrap 10 will have a width of approximately twenty-nine inches (29″) along its longest side and be twelve inches (12″) in length from longest side to shortest side. However, wrap 10 may take on any size or shape capable of substantially covering or completely covering a head of hair. For example, wrap 10 may be triangular in shape thereby decreasing the shortest side to a negligible size. If wrap 10 is quadrilateral in shape, shortest side 14 will have a maximum width of four inches (4″). Front side 11 predominantly hides backside 12, but both are preferably the same size and shape and connected or attached together through various way known in the art. Alternatively, wrap 10 may further comprise additional layers of material, within front side 11 and backside 12, which may for example create pouch 18 (described infra). In an alternate embodiment, wrap 10 is simply a single layer of material that does not form a pouch but is simply designed to wrap around a head of hair by rolling the hair within it.

Preferably, sides 11 and 12 are flat pieces of fabric that are sewn or stitched together along their edge, as shown in FIG. 1B. Stitching 16 may veer inward slightly from corners 15. Corners 15 are made to ultimately tie together and may for example be elongated or shaped slightly convex in order to achieve that purpose. Additionally, corners 15 may further comprise extensions or hook together through other methods. In the preferred embodiment, the fabric of wrap 10 is comprised of material and textures such as cotton, terry-cloth, wool, silk, felt, suede, polyester, rayon or a combination of these materials, but could be envisioned to be other materials suitable for the intended purpose disclosed. Additionally, the fabric may have imprinted colors, patterns, designs and/or embossing for aesthetic purposes.

Now referring to FIG. 1C, another front elevation view of the preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown. The interior of wrap 10 can be seen to comprise pouch 18, formed by front side 11 and backside 12, which further comprises granular substance 17. Granular substance 17 may be inserted during manufacturing before stitching sides 11 and 12 shut or after stitching though use of a plug or patch in the device. Granular substance 17 is preferably natural grain whole rice, brown rice or white rice, but could alternatively be any other grain or small granule or powder of substance that is capable of retaining heat and moisture. The purpose of granular substance 17 is to be heated, preferably in a microwave, and absorb moisture from the air. Therefore, granular substance 17 may also comprise high heat capacitance or insulating chemicals or gels or agents. This would improve the ability of the dampened substance to retain heat, which will be used in wrap 10 to envelop a head of hair and produce curls, waves and/or extra body within the hair.

Now referring to FIG. 2A, another front elevation view of the preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown. While in use, wrap 10 is laid down on a flat surface, with smallest side 14 pointing toward the user. Granular substance 17 is evenly leveled by hand in lower section 20 of wrap 10. For users with longer hair, granular substance 17 can be spread across a greater area of wrap 10, thus heightening the length of section 20.

Now referring to FIG. 2B, another front elevation view of the preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown. After preparing the wrap device in FIG. 2A, a user will lean over wrap 10, facing it with their head 22 pointed downward. Any amount of hair 24 can then be laid across wrap 10, preferably with the tips of hair 24 across section 20. In fact, wrap 10 can be used to curl hair from five inches (5″) in length to twenty inches (20″) in length. Starting at the point of wrap 10, or shortest side 14, the user will then roll wrap 10 in the direction of arrow 26, gradually enveloping hair 24, toward the longest side of wrap 10 and crown of head 22. Hair 24 will then be positioned in a roll on the top of the user's head. In still other embodiments, the device can be used to treat or condition hair 24 by incorporating conditioning agents within wrap 10, either before or during the rolling process. In yet another embodiment, the device can reversely be used to straighten hair 24 by using a straightening agent.

Now referring to FIG. 3, a flow chart illustrating the preferred method of using of the present invention is shown. Starting at step 31, wrap 10 is heated in a microwave for twenty (20)-forty (40) seconds. In alternate embodiments, wrap 10 could be heated using other forms of convection heating or conduction. After heating, wrap 10 is laid on a flat surface in step 32. Step 33 comprises evenly spreading the contents of pouch 18, as described supra. Hair desired to be curled is laid down or placed across wrap 10 in step 34. Then in step 35, starting from the point or shortest side of wrap 10, the wrap and hair are together rolled toward the crown of a user's head. Optionally, corners 15 can be secured together to form a bun, which keep wrap 10 tight and keeps the hair curled tightly. Finally, in step 36 of the preferred method, wrap 10 can be released after at least 5 minutes. It can be held in place longer, for example worn in public or slept on over night to produce a greater degree of curl.

The present invention includes any novel feature or combination of features disclosed herein either explicitly or any generalization thereof. While the invention has been described with respect to specific examples including presently preferred modes of carrying out the invention, those skilled in the art will appreciate that there are numerous variations and permutations of the above described apparatus. Thus, the spirit and scope of the invention should be construed broadly as set forth in the appended claims. 

1. A device for curling a full head of hair without prior sectioning comprising: two quadrilateral shaped pieces of fabric directly fastened together on all sides to form a pouch, said pouch further comprising a heat absorbing substance.
 2. The device of claim 1, wherein the hair ranges in length from five inches to twenty inches.
 3. The device of claim 1, wherein the two pieces of fabric are directly fastened together by stitching around the sides.
 4. The device of claim 1, wherein the two quadrilateral shaped pieces of fabric have a height of approximately twelve inches and a width of the longest side approximately twenty-nine inches.
 5. The device of claim 1, wherein the smallest side of the two quadrilateral pieces has a maximum length of four inches.
 6. The device of claim 1, wherein the smallest side of the two quadrilateral pieces has a negligible minimum length.
 7. The device of claim 1, wherein the fabric comprises one or more materials of the group consisting of cotton, terry-cloth, wool, silk, felt, suede, polyester and rayon.
 8. The device of claim 1, wherein the heat absorbing material comprises a granular composition.
 9. The device of claim 1, wherein the heat absorbing substance comprises grains of rice.
 10. A method of curling a full head of hair comprising the steps of: heating the device of claim 1; laying the device open on a flat surface; placing the full head of hair over the device; rolling the hair within the lower section of the device; leaving the device in place for at least five minutes; and removing the device from the hair.
 11. The method of claim 10, further comprising the step of evenly spreading a heat absorbing substance contained within the device toward the end with the shortest side after laying the device on the flat surface and before placing the full head of hair over the device.
 12. The method of claim 10, wherein the heating occurs in a microwave oven.
 13. The method of claim 12, wherein the heating occurs for twenty to forty seconds.
 14. The method of claim 10, wherein placing the full head of hair over the device further comprises arranging the hair in patterns.
 15. The method of claim 10, wherein wrapping the device around the full head of hair begins at the shortest side of the device.
 16. The method of claim 15, wherein the wrapping occurs until the hair is in a roll shape at the crown of the head.
 17. The method of claim 16, further comprising the step of tying the two loose corners of the device together in order to transform the roll shape into a bun shape.
 18. The method of claim 10, further comprising the step of leaving the device in place overnight before removing the device from the hair.
 19. The method of claim 10, further comprising the step of wearing the device in public before removing the device from the hair.
 20. A method of curling a full head of hair comprising the steps of: laying a single layer of material on a flat surface; placing the full head of hair over the material; rolling the hair within the lower section of the material; leaving the material in place for at least five minutes; and removing the material from the hair. 